Smart meters

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Tringa

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Just had a letter from Scottish Power about replacing our gas and electricity meters with smart meters.

A couple of things in the letter caught my attention.

The replacement of the meters is not carried out by Scottish Power but by a partner company. If anything goes wrong I wonder if each will blame the other.

The answer to one of the FAQs says, “Smart meters communicate with us independently to any broadband or internet you may have in your home, using a WAN(wide area network)”

In our house, if the smart meters go in the same place as the current ones (and I'd not want them anywhere else), they would be within a couple of feet of the main electricity supply coming into the house, lots of other electric cabling, the gas main and water pipes; and in the cellar. Therefore I'm guessing the wide area network is going to be powerful and wonder if it will interfere with our broadband. A page on the British Gas says they use the same frequency as WiFi.

Grateful for comments from anyone who has their meters replaced by smart meters, how easy was it, any problems with the installation and or broadband connection, anything else?


Thanks


Dave
 
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Edit...misunderstood on first read.
Sorry! :)
 
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Zigbee inside the home for the smart device(s) to talk to the meter, mobile data network to talk to the energy supplier (the WAN part). As wheels do not need to be reinvented.

If using a mobile phone affects your broadband then having a smart meter will as well. Otherwise, not IMO.
 
SSE replaced ours with a smart meter, was very painless.

ours uses a mobile internet connection. the guy had a range of sim cards with different providers to get the best signal in our area.

nothing in our set up has caused any issue with our internet.
 
neil_g said:
SSE replaced ours with a smart meter, was very painless.

ours uses a mobile internet connection. the guy had a range of sim cards with different providers to get the best signal in our area.

nothing in our set up has caused any issue with our internet.
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LOL Can't wait for that, as none of the networks work where I live :)

Some systems could use Tetra as well as I understand. That may stand a chance as emergency services use that until they switch to EE ;)
 
My concern over this is the problem when you change suppliers - I'm told that not all Smart Meters are compatible with all energy suppliers and some folk have had problems when switching suppliers at the end of your contract

Siemens contacted me and I have said I do not wish to have smart meters
 
Hope they try to put one in here then. There is no mobile Internet coverage here. Bearly get a mobile signal outside. The meters are in a cupboard.
 
There's a new type that are properly compatible. I'm refusing anything to do with them until that is the case. Being suspicious I'll be confirming that they can only communicate outwards and not allow any inbound connections. The wpd engineer I chatted to recently said he wouldn't have one either as they'd been nothing but trouble but these new ones that I think he said were just being introduced were a lot better. Many had been old stock with batteries that had gone flat which caused more issues.

I still think a dumb ass dial meter is a far better idea.
 
Last weekend I asked Br. Gas for a Smart Meter. They said they would put me on the waiting list. I said OK, but how long would I need to wait. They emailed me to ask me to contact them early October because their system for arranging appointments was knackered (words to that effect).
 
What is the point of a smart meter ?
Something in me says that anything 'free' has to benefit someone, and I don't imagine energy suppliers doing out of kindness, or am I being old and grumpy ?
 
stevewestern said:
What is the point of a smart meter ?
Something in me says that anything 'free' has to benefit someone, and I don't imagine energy suppliers doing out of kindness, or am I being old and grumpy ?
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It is a government sponsored initiative. I think it had to do originally with the lack of meter readings, the lack of people doing it themselves, and then getting into hardship when they had a surprise of the bills.

Oops, actually it is an EU initiative ;)

https://www.smartenergygb.org/en/the-bigger-picture/about-the-rollout
 
Cobra said:
One less thing to worry about (shortly) then :D
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Nothing to worry about where you live - I don't think it can count the buckets of coal :p
 
Neighbours had them fitted a couple of months ago, not aware of any issues with theirs, I've been offered them previously, but declined as heard mixed reviews and am perfectly happy filling in on line meter readings every couple of months :)
 
stevewestern said:
What is the point of a smart meter ?
Something in me says that anything 'free' has to benefit someone, and I don't imagine energy suppliers doing out of kindness, or am I being old and grumpy ?
Click to expand...

No meter readers need be employed.
 
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Thanks for the replies all.

As smart meters aren't complusory(yet) I think I'll stick to the old style. I have a reminder in my calendar to send the meter readings every month so the bill is always reasonably accurate.

Dave
 
There's one other intended benefit of smart meters, which I don't think has been mentioned yet. By metering our usage at different times of day, it becomes possible for the suppliers to charge us differently for electricity used at different times of day. This makes sense because the utilisation of the UK's generating capacity varies quite significantly throughout the day/week/year. At times there is spare capacity so electricity is cheap to produce; at times there is little or no spare capacity so electricity is expensive to produce. So it makes sense if consumers can be sent price signals which might encourage them to use "cheap" the electricity. Run the washing machine or the dishwasher overnight, that sort of thing.

At least, that's the theory. One potentially major issue is that electricity tariffs are complicated enough as things are, and if suppliers were able to charge different prices at different times of day then it might be practically impossible to work out whether you're getting a good deal. The worst case scenario is that overall costs don't go down, because the price signals are ineffective, but overall prices go up because it's easier for suppliers to sustain uncompetitive tariffs.
 
StewartR said:
There's one other intended benefit of smart meters, which I don't think has been mentioned yet. By metering our usage at different times of day, it becomes possible for the suppliers to charge us differently for electricity used at different times of day. This makes sense because the utilisation of the UK's generating capacity varies quite significantly throughout the day/week/year. At times there is spare capacity so electricity is cheap to produce; at times there is little or no spare capacity so electricity is expensive to produce. So it makes sense if consumers can be sent price signals which might encourage them to use "cheap" the electricity. Run the washing machine or the dishwasher overnight, that sort of thing.

At least, that's the theory. One potentially major issue is that electricity tariffs are complicated enough as things are, and if suppliers were able to charge different prices at different times of day then it might be practically impossible to work out whether you're getting a good deal. The worst case scenario is that overall costs don't go down, because the price signals are ineffective, but overall prices go up because it's easier for suppliers to sustain uncompetitive tariffs.
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I like that, bit like the Uber surge pricing model as displayed on the app when you use it.
 
Being charged higher rates is not a benefit.

Having grid storage is a far better solution.
 
srichards said:
Being charged higher rates is not a benefit.
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Yes it is. The flip side of being charged higher rates at times when electricity is expensive to produce is being charged lower rates when electricity is cheap to produce. This gives consumers the ability to change their behaviours (if they want to) so that we as a nation require less generating capacity and potentially less energy overall. And it makes obvious, fundamental sense for the price to be related to the cost.
srichards said:
Having grid storage is a far better solution.
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Better in what sense? More cost effective? Do you have a citation?
 
We had one fitted about 6 months ago by British Gas. No problems with it.

We changed suppliers 3 months ago and are saving roughly £350 a year...

The smart meter shows how much you are using but the cost indicator has dropped to zero as it isn't connected to BG anymore
 
camerassassin said:
My concern over this is the problem when you change suppliers - I'm told that not all Smart Meters are compatible with all energy suppliers and some folk have had problems when switching suppliers at the end of your contract
Click to expand...

A friend of mine who is a private landlord with several properties in the Bristol/Gloucester area has forbidden his tennants from having them fitted due to issues with changing energy suppliers.
 
Bristolian said:
A friend of mine who is a private landlord with several properties in the Bristol/Gloucester area has forbidden his tennants from having them fitted due to issues with changing energy suppliers.
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is this legal? surely the supply is a private matter between customer and supplier and no business of any third party
 
Bristolian said:
A friend of mine who is a private landlord with several properties in the Bristol/Gloucester area has forbidden his tennants from having them fitted due to issues with changing energy suppliers.
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The tenants can tell him to go to hell.
If they pay their own utility bills they're entitled to have a smart meter fitted.
They don't even have to inform the landlord, legally.
 
viv1969 said:
The tenants can tell him to go to hell.
If they pay their own utility bills they're entitled to have a smart meter fitted.
They don't even have to inform the landlord, legally.
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mmmmmm, not sure. depends on the contract I would have thought?

we asked permission to swap out our PAYG meter when we moved in, agent/landlord didn't have an issue.

didn't consult them about the smart meter mind you.
 
stevewestern said:
What is the point of a smart meter ?
Something in me says that anything 'free' has to benefit someone, and I don't imagine energy suppliers doing out of kindness, or am I being old and grumpy ?
Click to expand...

They are not "free" you pay an amount in your energy price to cover your existing meter, that is why they advertise smart meters "at no extra cost".
 
neil_g said:
mmmmmm, not sure. depends on the contract I would have thought?

we asked permission to swap out our PAYG meter when we moved in, agent/landlord didn't have an issue.

didn't consult them about the smart meter mind you.
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The tenancy agreement is irrelevant if it's the tenant who has the account with the energy supplier, and who pays the bill.

If it is you who has the account with the supplier, you were under no obligation to seek his permission to swap out your PAYG meter.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
And the landlord can do the same when the tenancy is up for renewal.....:eek:
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Well indeed. But a landlord forbidding tenants from changing their meter is breaking the law and probably a crappy landlord in many other ways.
I wouldn't be looking to renew in any case.
 
Bristolian said:
A friend of mine who is a private landlord with several properties in the Bristol/Gloucester area has forbidden his tennants from having them fitted due to issues with changing energy suppliers.
Click to expand...
I'd be a good friend and tell him he can't and must not do that to his tenants. (y)
 
viv1969 said:
Well indeed. But a landlord forbidding tenants from changing their meter is breaking the law and probably a crappy landlord in many other ways.
I wouldn't be looking to renew in any case.
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This couldn't be further from the truth and I find your characterisation of my friend, with no knowledge of him or how he treats his tennants, to be crass and insulting.

@ everyone saying that the landlord can't prevent a tennant doing this please quote me chapter and verse from the relevant legislation, please, and I will discuss it with him.
 
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